India ratifies second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol

United Nations: India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action.

In a brief statement, India's Permanent Mission to the UN said that India deposited its Instrument of Acceptance of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol under the UN Convention on Climate Change here yesterday.

With this, India became the 80th country to accept the amendment relating to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, the international emissions reduction treaty.

"India's acceptance reaffirms our continued commitment to climate action," the Indian mission said in a statement.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, who handed over India's Instrument, tweeted "maintaining momentum on Climate Change. India submits instrument of acceptance of Doha Amendment to Kyoto Protocol".

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and entered into force in February 2005.

The first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol was from 2008-2012. The Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Qatar in December 2012. The amendment includes new commitments for parties to the Kyoto Protocol who agreed to take on commitments in a second commitment period from January 2013 to December 2020 and a revised list of greenhouse gases to be reported on by Parties in the second commitment period, according to the UNFCCC website.

The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in January given its approval to ratify the second commitment period of the international treaty.